


The Truth In Fairytales

by BWPR



Category: Hellboy (2019), Hellboy (Comics), Hellboy (Movies 2004-2008), Hellboy - All Media Types, Hellboy - Fandom
Genre: Abandonment, Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Family Issues, First Meetings, Getting Together, Identity Reveal, Mental Health Issues, Moving In Together, Moving On, Moving Out, Mutant Powers, Not Actually Unrequited Love, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Relationship, Revenge, Roommates, Strangers to Lovers, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:48:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27971075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BWPR/pseuds/BWPR
Summary: Alex couldn't have ever anticipated meeting Nuada at a random bar while trying to get over her feelings for Hellboy, but somehow this was her life. And she definitely didn't expect how close she would become with the pale man, from strangers to friends to maybe something more. But is she worth him giving up his vendetta?
Relationships: Hellboy (Hellboy)/Original Female Character(s), Hellboy/Liz Sherman, Nuada & Nuala (Hellboy), Nuada (Hellboy)/Original Character(s), Nuada (Hellboy)/Original Female Character(s), Nuala/Abe Sapien
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Is this me writing to distract myself from the current state of the world? Yes. So beware that there has been no beta editing, so just message or comment if there's an error. Enjoy!

Alex didn't really know where else to go but the bar. It wasn't one of the kind that Hellboy was always dragging her to; rundown and shady, where a fight was sure to break out. Instead it was modern, closer to being a nightclub rather than a bar, with gleaming chrome fixtures and neon blue lights. The music was loud but she didn't really mind, almost floating through the crowd on the dance floor until she reached the bar. For all her earlier confidence, now that the bartender was asking her what she wanted, she didn't know what to order. This wasn't the kind of place where it was normal for her to just order a draft beer or straight whiskey, not that she particularly cared for those types of beverages in the first place. He seemed to understand her anxious nature, smiling gently and recommending her a type of hard cider. To her surprise, it was delicious, tasting of crisp apples and the best of autumn. She could almost hear Hellboy teasing her for liking it.

It was odd; she was surrounded by people, by sound, but she didn't hear any of it. It was almost like Alex was in her own little bubble, wrapped up in her emotions to the point that she felt numb. She had glass after glass of cider until she sluggishly realized that it had been one glass too many. It wasn't often that she allowed herself to get drunk, much less without meaning to. It wasn't exactly unpleasant as a feeling, but it seemed to the do the opposite of what she wanted. Instead of letting everything fade away, it was all she could think about.

Her years at Hellboy's side, as his only friend, as his best friend. She had fallen for him slowly, so slowly that she hadn't even known what was happening until he had fallen for someone too, but that someone wasn't her. They had shared a room for years, decades, so that he wouldn't be lonely. And he loved her, but not in the way she wanted, not in the way she felt about him. The sad thing was that Liz was a great person. She was unnatural, like them, and her powers were the perfect match for fighting alongside the half demon. Alex's powers were better suited for backup, for cleanup. She fixed things and people effortlessly, thoughtlessly. But who would be there to fix her?

Maybe it was this instinct to help people that causes her to finally pay attention to the people around her. Alex has been here for about two hours now, and the only constant has been the smiling bartender that keeps refilling her glass with cider. She's drawn to an argument occurring a few seats down between the aforementioned bartender and a patron.

"Listen buddy, you can't just order multiple drinks and then not pay for them," the bartender grinds out, sounding as if this wasn't the first trouble customer he's dealt with.

"Why would I pay for such swill?" the bar patron sneers in return, as though he honestly seemed not to understand.

"You asked for them, you drank them, and now you need to pay for them," he explains slowly, insultingly, as if he was talking to a child, "Otherwise, I'll need to call the cops." And Alex being Alex has the innate urge to fix the problem, for both of them.

"Hey," she calls out softly, but neither of the males hear her, "Hey!" She can't help but flush as both of them snap their heads to the side to look at her, and she realizes that she had basically yelled.

"Yes, miss, I'll be with you in just a moment," the bartender soothed with a careful smile, as if she was about to become a problem too.

"No, um, I overheard your conversation, and I'd be happy to pick up his tab," she offered, as if she did this kind of stuff everyday.

"Are you sure?" he asked, as if she was being conned into this or didn't understand what she was agreeing to.

"Yeah, it's no problem at all," she assured the man, who only shrugged despite his clear disapproval. With the issue of payment for the patron's drinks sorted out, the bartender left to handle other duties. Alex was looking at the other expectantly, but instead of thanking her, he didn't even acknowledge her.

"I'm sorry for butting in, but it just didn't seem necessary to have him call the police over a bar tab," she addressed the man she was apparently now buying drinks for, as he seemed happy enough ignoring her existence despite her help. She had to speak up a bit, given that he was quite a few seats down, but she knew that he had heard her.

"I'm assuming that the human thing to say would be thank you?" he sneered at her, with the same level of rudeness he had used with the bartender. It was almost hostile even.

"I guess so?" His odd manner of speech was throwing her off, but maybe that was just her previous drinks. The man gave her a once over before seemingly resigning himself to her company, standing from his seat and taking the one directly next to her. It startled her, the slight invasion of her personal space, but the man wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he was looking back at the dancefloor with a condescending look on his face, the expression pulling his already sharp features tighter.

"Tell me, as you've been so accommodating, what is the point of all of this?" he asked, waving a hand vaguely at the dancefloor. It felt like a rhetorical question or maybe a joke at her own expense, though not outwardly. Alex was slightly peeved, but not enough to pass up on a conversation.

"Well, it depends on the person I guess," she began slowly, needing a moment to put her thoughts into words, "Some people come here to have fun, some come here to socialize, and some come here to avoid something."

"And what is your reasoning?" He was looking at her now, no, analyzing her. It was mildly uncomfortable, as if she was being profiled or as if he was looking for a lie. Alex was careful in how she responded, given that with her lifestyle, a certain level of secrecy was expected. But talking to this stranger seemed better than just stewing in her thoughts.

"The man I'm in love with just got a girlfriend," she explained bluntly, bitterly, taking a rather large gulp of her cider that had almost been forgotten in this man's presence.

"So you are avoiding your feelings?" he asked for confirmation with a raised eyebrow, as if she hadn't been blunt enough somehow.

"For the most part, yes. But I'm also avoiding both of them, seeing as I live with him." And aloud, it sounded even more pathetic somehow than when it was only bouncing around inside her head.

"That seems rather cowardly," he stated, like it was an observation, though it felt like an accusation. Slighted, Alex couldn't help but be a little snooty.

"It is. But I never claimed to be brave."

"That's true," he hummed, seeming oddly interested in her banter whereas before she had seemed insignificant to him, "So tell me, do any of these drinks actually taste good?" The change in topic was a relief, as she hadn't expected to be called out upon sharing her plight.

"Not really, but it doesn't help that you're drinking straight hard liquor, rather than having mixed drinks."

"Seeing as you are paying for my drinks, what would you recommend then?" he asked, as if this was the next natural step when someone else was buying drinks for you.

"Honestly, I don't know all that much about alcohol, but I quite like this hard cider. You seem like the type that would enjoy something more elegant, like this or cocktails or wine."

"I seem like a type of human?" His tone was affronted, as if she had somehow crossed a line.

"I mean, I obviously don't know you, but I have to make some judgement about who you are as a person to recommend something like a drink," she backpedaled, hoping her reasoning would sit well. It was almost painful, how desperate she was not to lose her company.

"I will forgive you your offense then," he allowed graciously, and his mood changes were giving her whiplash.

"Thank you?" she muttered as he turned away from her to interact with the bartender, who gave her a side eye glance that says she's gullible to be spending money on a stranger, but she doesn't really care. She receives a housing and food stipend for her services on top of her salary, despite the fact that she lives on the compound. Alex had plenty of money to blow on a handsome man she would only meet once. She uses this chance to actually access the man next to her. He's taller than her, most likely over 6 feet tall, with a lithe build hidden under the layers of an expensive looking suit. He looks to be an accountant or something, but he doesn't reek of cologne like most of the businessmen she's encountered. He's pale, almost sickly so in the cold lights, and his eyes are lined by the kind of bruises that speak of stress and insomnia. His hair is pale too, but she can't tell if it's platinum blonde or white. His eyes are blue, but in a way that seems unnatural, as if they don't match the rest of his face.

"Is there a particular reason that you are staring at my face?"

"You look inhuman," she responded honestly, thoughtless, before rushing to correct herself, "That came out wrong. You are very handsome, but your features are distinct in a way that I haven't encountered before."

"I'm quite alright with that. You, on the other hand, appear to look like all the rest of your kind." And well, how was she supposed to respond to that? Was it a backhanded compliment or was it an insult?

"What made the man you love fall in love with someone else?" he asked during the lull in conversation, picking up where she didn't really want to continue, "Why haven't you just taken what's yours?"

"That isn't the way love works. Besides, I'm not sure I could pull them apart even if I wanted to. For them, for him at least, it almost seemed destined. The way she compliments him as a person so well; an equal, a partner. I could never stand beside him like that. So what if I've known him longer, he'd never see me like that. I'm his best friend, the person he calls when he needs backup. And I can't expect to take something that isn't mine like that; I'm not like that," Alex explained, emphasizing her last sentence. And for the first time tonight, she actually felt better. It was odd, how speaking of philosophy and morals seemed so easy with this stranger.

"All humans are like that, greedy things that take what isn't theirs, destroying everything else in the process. Why should you think that you are any different?"

'Because I'm a freak,' she thought, but she couldn't exactly say that.

"I know that, what people are capable of. But they can be capable of fixing things too. Sometimes it's hard to make the right choice, but it's not impossible."

"You are naïve and foolish," he sneered in disgust, but it almost made her smile. She may be foolish in her hope, and she may be naïve due to how sheltered she was in a way; but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They sat in silence for awhile after that, as if they were both processing their conversation. It occurred to her to maybe check the time, so she reached into her pocket for her cell.

"Shit," she muttered as she finally looked at her phone, becoming aware of all the missed calls and texts. Hellboy, Liz, Abe; they had been trying to reach her for half an hour.

"I've got to get going, my friends are worried about me," she explained as she got up, throwing enough money on the bar to hopefully cover the tab and tip, "It was nice to talk to you."

"Pathetic, running back to those that hurt you," he accused sourly, as if he wasn't quite done with their debate.

"I thought I was cowardly for avoiding them in the first place?" she shot back, smiling when he only huffed, unable to retort.

"By the way, I'm Alex, should we run into each other again," she called back at the man as she began to make her way across the dancefloor again, heading for the door.

"Doubtful," was all of his reply that she caught as she was swallowed up in the noise.  
______________________________________

The next time she meets the strange man, she isn't in a much better state. It's almost been a month since her first trip to the bar, and she had come to terms with Hellboy and Liz's relationship. It still hurt of course, but it wasn't a fresh wound anymore. But it had come to her attention that she was third-wheeling. Seeing as she was still residing in Hellboy's room, it made for some awkward moments. They would either ignore her completely or they would attempt to include her; Alex wasn't sure what was worse. But she had been rooming with the half demon for so long that she was quite terrified of trying to be on her own.

So she goes back to the same bar, with the same lights and the same drink. The bartender isn't the same one as before, and the place is half empty, but it's perfect for her. Imagine her surprise when she spots that oddly pale hair and skin, the blue tint from the lights making him seem otherworldly. It's different to look upon him without quite a few ciders under her belt; she notices more details than before.

Alex isn't quite sure whether to take a seat next to the man and hope he remembers her, or if she should just leave him be. Her decision is made for her when he glances up after catching her in his peripheral vision. He looks surprised to see her for a second, clearly recognizing her, before his expression smooths out into something neutral. She can't tell if he actually looks arrogant or if it's just because of his sharp features.

"What a coincidence, running into you again here," she offers up, taking a tentative seat next to him when he doesn't stop her.

"While I don't believe in coincidences, I may be inclined to agree with you." He sounded more neutral tonight, which was a first. And now that she was sober, she could better appreciate the depth of his voice, his accent.

"Actually paying for your own drinks this time?" she teases, but she's also partially curious.

"Of course, this servant isn't trying to make me purchase that awful swill like the other one," he said with a scowl, clearly remembering whatever kind of drink had earned his ire previously.

"Most people would just call him a bartender."

"But is he not a servant?" he questioned, as if she didn't know what she was talking about.

"Well, normally servants can't cut you off or have you thrown out," she pointed out, sarcasm bleeding into her voice.

"Then he must just be a poor excuse for a servant," he asserted, taking the customer is always right mentality to another level. Alex doesn't get the chance to respond before the new bartender was coming to a stop in front of her, asking for her order curtly.

"Thank you, I'll take a hard cider please," she requested with a polite smile, which the bartender returned. It was almost as if the drink appeared in his hand for how fast it was placed down in front of her in a chilled glass. She took the opportunity to sample the hard cider, a different brand from last time but good in its own way; less crisp and more sweet, with a hint a spice.

"Avoiding your friends again?" her companion asked after a bit, clearly referencing their previous conversation, "And after running back to them like last time, it must be embarrassing." While his words made her grimace, it was oddly flattering that he remembered anything at all.

"I'm not avoiding anything," she began, sighing when the man cut her off with a sharp look, "Okay, so maybe I am. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be alone with my thoughts."

"Well, bothering me isn't exactly being alone, now is it?" There was nothing malicious behind his words, but they still cut deep given her current situation. Alex was humiliated, taking this rejection in conjunction with Hellboy's. She was angry at herself, bitter with the world she lived in, and ashamed that she had misread the man's tolerance as acceptance.

"I can see I am not wanted, I apologize for intruding. I'll move to a different seat immediately," Alex responded stiffly, almost robotically. Without giving the other a second to process her words, she hopped off her tall seat and grabbed her drink, moving to a corner with a lone two-top. She could still see the colors of the man in her peripheral, but it was the only place in the bar where she didn't have to look directly at him. Out of sight, out of mind. Was she so desperate for companionship that she was willing to bother a complete stranger? As she drank on, beginning to relax into her new seat, her thoughts slipped back to the original problem that had brought her here.

Her solutions were limited, and they all depended on how much she wanted to have a life separate from her job and her makeshift family. She could just move rooms, make it seem like she just needed more space of her own so they didn't feel guilty about forcing her out. But then she would just be alone in a room with four cinderblock walls, which wasn't very appealing. She could share a room with Abe, not that he really used his, being in the tank most of the time. But she would never impose on her semiaquatic friend like that.

Ultimately, she decided to move out of the compound entirely. She wasn't one of the supernaturals that needed to be watched or taken care of, she was free to leave at any time. She could leave everything and everyone behind if she so chose, could move to another state or even another country. But that was a step she was too afraid to take; it seemed too drastic. For now, she would just move somewhere in the same city, keep her job and stay active in her friends' lives, but maybe while trying to actually build one of her own. The idea of living alone scared her. Not that she couldn't take care of herself, but the idea of being even more lonely wasn't appealing. Then it occurred to her; she could find a roommate! But Alex would need to rent an apartment first and foremost. She didn't really know anything about apartment hunting though-

"I am afraid that you overreacted to my statement," a voice suddenly spoke from next to her, startling her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find the man from before hovering next to her, expression as tight as ever. He was closer this time, and she got a brief whiff of something like stagnant water before it was drowned out by the smells of the bar.

"Oh, did I? And here I thought you plainly said that I was bothering you," she said sarcastically, finishing the cider that she had been nursing for awhile. It had grown warm anyway, so it wasn't very pleasant.

"You were, but I didn't explicitly order you to move," he explained, as if it was obvious, as if it made a difference.

"It was heavily implied," she grinded out with a sharp smile, which he almost seemed taken aback by.

"Who are you to assume what I meant?" the man responded haughtily, as if she was the one who had offended him.

"Listen, I moved over here to drink my cider and leave you alone, and now you are defeating the purpose of that," Alex explained slowly, not unlike how the first bartender had talked to him, "So if you would kindly return to the bar, that would be great."

"Are you attempting to order me around?"

"I am saying that if you want to sit with me, then I am owed an apology for your rudeness. Otherwise, I would like to be alone."

"I owe you nothing, human. How dare you call me rude when this was brought on by your own sensitivity," the pale man sneered, clearly and venomously denying any wrongdoing.

"If you would excuse me, I'll be leaving now. I can see that it would be better if I went to another venue." Her tone was curt and almost icy, and he seemed to deflate when he realized that she wasn't bluffing or backing down.

"That is unnecessary," he began, only to change his tone when she started to gather her things in preparation for getting up, "Fine, I apologize that you were offended by my telling the truth." It wasn't exactly the apology of the century, but she would take it. She settled back into her seat with a slight smirk, the man warily taking the seat across from her. Alex just watched him expectantly, clearly unwilling to restart the conversation. It was oddly empowering, forcing the man to control the introduction.

"So, I believe that you were about to explain why you came back here," he urged tensely, looking like the allowance physically pained him. It was almost funny, how chipper she was to respond after that.

"It has come to my attention that I need to move out, that I need to learn what it means to be my own person. But I don't know anything about existing on my own, about finding an apartment or paying bills or cooking anything that isn't noodles. Kind of pathetic, isn't it? To be as old as I am and not have any experience handling myself." Of course the man next to her couldn't quite understand that as, despite her appearance, she was a few hundred years old. Not as old as Hellboy, but still rather inhuman.

"I faced something similar myself. I was cast out by my father after having lived a life of luxury, thrown out of my home and onto the filthy streets with nothing. No help from anyone, not even my own dearest sister," he admitted, which was honestly very unexpected. Alex hadn't really thought of him as needing some company too, as having gone through any hardships, which was rather ignorant of her. It was the most open the man had been with her so far, the most sincere, and she could see how much it hurt him.

"I mean, it seems like you overcame that," she attempted to comfort, but his expression only tightened in response.

"I find it difficult to live in this world." Alex could relate to that completely, as someone who was having her own problems trying to integrate into this new society.

"No one ever said it was easy," she agreed thoughtfully, and they both settled into a comfortable silence. It was nice, just being able to sit with someone and relax. No forced conversation, no tense silences; just a mutual understanding. It was rather enlightening, and she found herself becoming determined to put her plan into action. If this man could be disowned by his own family and still be this put together, she could handle moving out.

"I better get going, I'll need all the sleep I can get for apartment hunting tomorrow," Alex finally acquitted after almost an hour had passed of just quiet, "I hope we run into each other again sometime." She had meant it to be polite, but it had come out startlingly hopeful.

"It wouldn't be the worse thing to ever occur," he grumbled, though she could swear she saw him hide a smirk. It was only once Alex was almost back to the compound that she realized that he had yet again neglected to mention his name.  
__________________________________________________

Predictably, apartment hunting was a bitch. Alex didn't realize how high her expectations were until she was left with very few options. In the end, she found a place for herself. It was a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. It was open concept, with a wall of windows in the living room that lead out to a balcony that overlooked a park with a pond. There was a large kitchen with fancy appliances that she didn't even bother to pretend to know how to work. And the best part; it came completely furnished. All she needed was to buy some linens and décor. It was more expensive than she was expecting, but at least utilities were included.

It took her a month to move in, between the paperwork, payment set up, and lease date. She didn't even tell anyone other than the new handler that she was moving, she just left a note. Predictably, that didn't go over well with Hellboy, who blew up her phone with nonstop messages and calls. Liz and Abe seemed to understand her desire to be alone, merely wishing her well and promising housewarming gifts the next time they saw her. She had never felt so free nor so lonely, sitting on the balcony one cloudy morning, wrapped up in a blanket that she had snagged before moving out. She should be celebrating; she had just finished unpacking her belongings and stocking up on supplies. She had even started to explore cooking techniques and recipes! Given all the equipment that she had in her kitchen, it had been a journey just to learn about what they were used for.

That's why she found herself back at the bar. Alex told herself it was to celebrate and that it had nothing to do with seeing the pale man who was the closest thing to a friend she currently had. She didn't quite expect to be so crushed when there was no familiar pale skin and hair gleaming at the bar. Celebrating by herself didn't seem all that appealing, but it wasn't like she had any other choice. If she tried to invite over Liz or Abe, Hellboy would tag along as well and the privacy and location of her safe haven would be gone. She wanted to hang out with her best friend, but he wasn't just her's anymore. She needed more in her life than just one person, and Hellboy's presence wasn't very conducive to that. A petty part of her hoped her absence hurt him like he had hurt her, even if he wasn't aware that he had. It was awful, that part of her that felt like he deserved the radio silence.

She had already had a few drinks, harder cocktails this time, when someone sat down beside her. Tipsy, she found herself beaming at the other when she recognized that lithe figure beside her. He raised an eyebrow, suspicious of her excitement but not overly so.

"We're celebrating! Drinks are on me!" she insisted, ordering herself another mixed drink while he ordered a glass of wine.

"And what exactly are we celebrating?" he asked, genuinely curious. There was a tiredness to him today, an exhaustion that seemed to surpass physical and mental.

"I just finished moving into my apartment!" The announcement was delivered with gusto, but it didn't seem to quite land.

"That constitutes drinks?"

"Come on, it's my first apartment. I should be happy, ecstatic even," she almost begged, finding it harder to keep up the bubbly attitude until it shattered all together at his next question.

"Then why aren't you?"

"Don't get me wrong, I know it's for the better. But I didn't anticipate how being alone would affect me," she admitted, staring into her drink like the swirling colors would have some sort of answer, "I just need to get used to it is all."

"Does anyone ever really get used to loneliness?"

"Stop with the questions, you're killing my good mood," she grumbled, though the insistence was weak.

"Fine, avoid them, just as you always do," he returned sourly, but she was surprised that he was listening to her in the first place.

"Says the king of avoidance. In all the times we've drank together, you've never even told me your name! You probably don't even remember mine!" The more she continued, the more she realized how frustrated she was by his standoffishness.

"Unlike humans, I have a perfect memory, Alex," he teased, something mean in his tone, making sure to put emphasis on her name, "And why would I grace you with my name? Don't you know that there's power in knowing someone's name?" She had a brief flashback to the story of Rumpelstiltskin, a childhood favorite. He had been rather disappointing in person though.

"That's only in the fairytales," she asserted weakly, though she knew better. Alex had encountered too many fae and witches to not know better, but what threat was this stranger in a suit?

"And isn't there always a kernel of truth?" It was almost alarming, how close to the truth this man was. But it's not like she could confirm that he was right, not to a normal person.

"Come on, let's get out of here and go somewhere," she announced, not so subtly trying to escape the conversation. Alex stood from her seat, stretching her legs slightly as she pulled her coat over herself.

"And why should I come with you?" he asked, jaded, though he was watching her every movement.

"Because you may actually enjoy yourself, Mr. Grouchy," she challenged with a smile, which predictably worked it's magic.

"I find that hard to believe, but I will humor you."  
____________________________________________________

"What is this place?" he asked as she pulled him down to sit next to her on the grass, a note of awe in his voice that made her blush. Thankfully, he was too preoccupied gazing around to pay her red cheeks and ears any notice.

"It's a little sanctuary of peace, hidden away from the rest of the city." Alex was going for mysterious, but it came out in a gentle whisper. Was it her best idea to bring a strange man to a secluded location at night? Not really. But he seemed to appreciate her little slice of paradise, and while he was weird at times, she never felt in danger. It was almost like a sacred place, a secret garden maybe. It was located in the large park that her balcony overlooked, a strange alcove under a tree that sat even with the pond. It enclosed them from the rest of the park, and with the fog hovering over the water, no one would be able to see them.

"This is how the world should be, this cleanliness and peace," he insisted seriously, something almost frenzied to his tone. She hadn't pegged him for an environmentalist, but to be fair, she didn't really know him at all.

"You aren't wrong, but that isn't very possible," she dissuaded, but he didn't seem to listen.

"Isn't it? If all the humans would just disappear, everywhere could be like this. No more wars, no more violence, no more pollution; it would be a paradise." She didn't like the way he clearly believed in what he was saying with conviction, or the way he was trying to get her to agree with him. It made her feel pressured, almost in a religious way.

"They will disappear someday, nature always evens the balance. And not everyone is like that. Some people are good, they care." And although she had personally seen the worst in people, their xenophobia and fear of what wasn't like them, there had been some who embraced them, like Father.

"They don't make up for the bad. And nature favors these beasts, favors you, for some reason." The way he said it, grouping her in with humans, as if it was him versus them, was concerning.

"You can't punish the many for the actions of a few. And nature is a fickle mother. Humans destroy and plunder and cause extinction, yes, but they also work to conserve life and even create it. I have to believe that they can fix things, otherwise I wouldn't believe in anything at all."

"You are naïve, to have beliefs such as those." There was almost something wistful to his voice, maybe nostalgia or melancholy? Either way, it didn't bite quite like he had intended.

"Is that really so bad?" Alex asked, which seem to draw him to a close. Maybe it was how earnest she was, or maybe it was because he had realized that his zealousness had scared her, but he let off.

"You were wrong, this isn't enjoyable at all."

"That's because you won't stop focusing on all the bad," she insisted, continuing when he only gave her a skeptic side glare, "You won't just exist in the moment; listening to the crickets and the frogs, feeling the fresh night air on your skin, seeing the way the moonlight reflects on the water." Surprisingly, he followed her lead, allowing his eyes to close and his senses to open up. Alex felt more connected to everything like this, could feel the energy that ran through all living things. It was a benefit of her power she supposed, being able to reach out like this. If her eyes had been open, she would've noticed the way she was subconsciously fixing things; a wilted flower, a tree with fungus, and even her companion to some extent.

"Nuada," he announced suddenly, and she couldn't help but pause for a moment, trying to decipher what he had said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"That's my name, Nuada," he explained, to which she smiled brightly. She rolled the name across her tongue, getting a feeling for it. And he may have been onto something, the power a name had. The man, Nuada, had a rather particular expression on his face as she made sure she was pronouncing it correctly.

"Oh, I've never heard such a name before. It's beautiful," she complimented, which seemed to go over well with him. He puffed up a bit with pride, about who he was and his lineage.

"It has meaning from where I'm from. Unlike your name; Alex," he teased, though there was an undertone of criticism.

"Alex, the shortened form of Alexandra, meaning defender of man," she recited, recalling exactly how Father used to explain it.

"Well, isn't that fitting, given how sure you are in the goodness of humans," he chuckled at the irony.

"I will protect them to the end," she jested, but there was something gentle that slipped through that belayed her seriousness.

"If you insist on dedicating your life to a lost cause." He almost sounded sorry for her, with some amount of frustration. But he seemed to accept that she wouldn't be swayed from her faith in humanity.

"It's getting late, I'm gonna head home," Alex decided, yawning as she got up and stretched out her stiff limbs. She was about to leave when she found herself hesitating, unwilling to just abandon her companion.

"You know, you're welcome to stay in the guest room. It's late, and I don't know where you live, but my apartment is right there," she offered awkwardly, pointing up at her balcony.

"What's your motive, girl?" It was harsh, more suspicious than he had been all night. But she couldn't exactly blame him, given that he had only just trusted her with his name.

"To be helpful? Listen, you don't have to if you don't want to, I just thought I'd offer at least, since I dragged you here," she explained, running a hand through her hair to distract herself from the piercing look in his eyes.

"Well, when you explain it that way, yes, I will accept your accommodation," he conceded after a moment, seeming to have not found anything false with her body language or expression. She was about to offer him a hand when he stood up easily from his sitting position, more elegant than she could ever hope to be. She lead them back through the park in an uncomfortable silence, at least on her end. It was only when they were secluded in the elevator, heading up to her floor that it occurred to her that she was developing a bad habit of making bad decisions when Nuada was involved. As she was unlocking her door, she caught an odd expression on his face as he took in her front door. It was then that she realized that her door stood out among the others on her floor, given that instead of the standard door, she had a metal monstrosity that was better suited to guard a bank vault. It had been a special purchase, a precaution should anyone or anything find out where she lived. It would even give Hellboy a hard time.

"I'm a single female, living alone. It can't hurt to have some extra security," she explained through a yawn as she pushed open the door, ushering him in before her so she could lock the door behind them, "Okay, so the guest room is right across the hall from mine, and your bathroom is attached. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, and that's my room if you need anything." Alex rushed him pass the living room and kitchen even as she mentioned them, all but pushing him into the door of the guest room.

"This shall suffice," he announced, as he took in the rather bland bedroom. At least it was clean, and Nuada seemed to almost appreciate the golden and cream color theme.

"Goodnight, Nuada," she threw out behind her as she entered her own room, more than ready to collapse into her bed, clothes and all.

"Sleep well," she thought she heard as she closed the door, not even bothering to lock it despite the stranger across the hall. She was out like a light the moment her head touched her pillow.  
_________________________________________________

When Alex woke up in the morning, she didn't even remember immediately that she had a guest. The world was soft and gentle and warm, like she was wrapped in a cocoon. She was rather content with burying her face into her pillow with a sigh, sunbathing in the light where she had neglected to pull her curtains shut. But when she heard movement in the apartment, she sprang out of bed like it was on fire. She didn't even think to change out of her skewed day old clothes or do anything to appear more presentable before throwing open her bedroom door and rushing into the hallway, breathing heavily.

Nuada seemed shocked for a moment, before his expression settled into something more dry and amused as he took in her state. He was in the kitchen, sitting properly on a stool, as if he was waiting for her. But despite his smugness, there was an anxiety to him, as if he wasn't sure what to do with himself.

"Is this how you dress in your own home?"

"Shut up, I didn't get to change last night," she hissed as she made an aborted movement to cover herself up, "I'm going to put on something else real quick, help yourself to breakfast. If you don't mind waiting, I can try and cook us something. It'll be a test of my skills in the kitchen."

"Very well, but try not to take too long," he teased from behind her, and she could feel his gaze like a physical touch as she retreated back into her room. As Alex rushed into her room, almost slamming the door behind her, she had to take a moment to compose herself, leaning against the wood to ground herself. She was quick to brush her teeth and throw her hair up into a bun before tossing on some joggers and an old sweater. It was more casual than he had ever seen her, but she was allowed to be comfortable in her own apartment dammit.

Nuada was in the same position that she had left him in, and his eyes immediately took in her more put together appearance. It was awkward for a moment, given that he was still wearing his suit so she was terribly underdressed, but he didn't comment. She walked around him and the island and began to throw mixing bowls and ingredients onto the counter. She was about to break some eggs into one of the aforementioned bowls when she shuddered to a halt.

"Oh shit, do you have any dietary restrictions?" Alex asked with wide eyes, calming down when he merely raised an eyebrow, "As in, do you have any food allergies or is there anything you can't or won't eat?"

"I'm am not so human as to have allergies or weaknesses," he scoffed, to which she just rolled her eyes.

"Pancakes it is," she muttered, deciding on something simple. But then she realized that pancakes may be too much like diner food to someone like Nuada, unsophisticated and greasy. So she considered on how she could improve upon the classic, deciding to try out the trendy cloud pancakes that she had seen everywhere on social media lately. They seemed easy enough, and she was actually rather excited to try them. It took her something ridiculous like 40 minutes to make the damn things, but Nuada just watched her contently from his seat.

"Okay, so these are Japanese pancakes, they are supposed to be super fluffy and soft, like clouds," she explained as she carefully placed the plate of pancakes and fruit in front of him, as if just breathing on them would make them deflate somehow. Alex watched anxiously as he leisurely cut into the confections, hovering there waiting for approval rather than plating her own breakfast. She was basically vibrating with anticipation as he slowly chewed the pancake, sure that she had fucked up somehow.

"These pancakes of yours are acceptable," he finally decided, to which she sighed in relief that they were at least edible, that he was actually eating them.

"That's high praise, coming from you." As she sat down with her own plate, ignoring the massive mess that was once her countertops, she tried the new recipe for herself. By themselves, the pancakes weren't anything to write home about. They were rather bland, none of the vanilla extract that she had added shining through. And they weren't as jiggly as she had been hoping for, likely overcooked. But when paired with the fresh fruit, it made quite a delicious breakfast. It wasn't a homerun, but with some more practice, she was sure that she could make a perfect pancake. Alex was almost done with her stack, Nuada eating slower as if he was savoring the homecooked meal, when her cellphone rang from her bedroom. She almost tripped over the rug in the hallway as she raced to answer the phone in time, but she caught herself before she could faceplant. She was briefly able to make out the name on the caller ID, Abe, before she answered.

"Hey Abe, what's up?" she panted, falling back on her bed as she caught her breath.

"Alex, where are you?" he almost seethed from the other side of the line, though Abe remained calm and collected despite his clear frustration.

"What?" she questioned dumbly, as if nothing was quite computing with her.

"We've been trying to reach you since 3AM, there's been an incident and we need you," he explained in a rush, clearly preoccupied with whatever was going on.

"Oh shit, sorry, what's the address, I'll be on my way in a minute," she asked eagerly, guilty, as he relayed the necessary information rather passive aggressively before hanging up on her. She changed into a pair of jeans rather than going in her joggers, deciding that was good enough as she gathered up her shoes, wallet, phone, and keys.

"Okay, so turns out I'm needed at work, are you leaving or hanging out here?" She didn't even look up at she addressed him, focusing on tying her shoes with shaky hands.

"I would like to finish my food before departing-"

"Sounds good, lock the door on your way out," she said absentmindedly, throwing him a spare key without thinking of the consequences as she all but ran out of the door.

"Alex, this kind of behavior is highly unusual and unexpected from you," Abe immediately chewed into her as she arrived 20 minutes later at the address he had given her. It was some sort of collector's study, hidden behind a sliding bookshelf in a rather nice house. It was pretty impressive, and she yearned to check out all the books, specimens, and artefacts in the room.

"Sorry Abe, I just had a long night, and my phone was dead," she explained, which only seemed to agitate the fish person more.

"You know that in this line of work that isn't acceptable. What if there were citizens who saw and we needed you immediately to make them forget? What if one of us was hurt and you weren't here to fix the injury?" Alex was taken back by his manic questions, pausing a moment to actually study her companion. He looked pale, at least for him, and she could swear that he was showing signs of having a headache.

"Abe, I said I was sorry," she insisted, before continuing more slowly and quietly, calming herself in hopes of affecting him, "Are you okay? You aren't normally this stressed out. Did something happen?" There was a moment when she thought that he was just going to continue yelling at her, but it seemed as if he just needed to take a breath. And if she reached out, fixing his state slightly with some soothing energy, it definitely didn't hurt.

"Hellboy has been rather agitated since you moved out. It's been difficult for me, how grating his emotions are," he explained after a minute, seeming more like the friend she knew and loved, "But it has been good to see how you've improved since finding a place of your own. Or is it a person?"

"No!," Alex blurted out rudely, which only earned her a warm smile, "Having my own apartment, my own space and rules, it's been liberating. You know that I love my work here, but I'm how old now, and I've just now realized how cut off I've been." He hummed his understanding before he was momentarily distracted by an agent messing around with something he shouldn't have been. She took this chance to actually study the incident site. It honestly just seemed like a lot of shattered glass and furniture, no bodies or bloodstains to be found.

"So this is it, just repairing all the damage?" she asked as Abe reappeared next to her, "You didn't really need me for this."

"There's an artifact that was broken that was irreplaceable, and just being in your presence has fixed my month-long headache." The explanation made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and he smiled at her as he sensed her positive reaction to his words. It didn't take her more than 5 minutes to fix all the damage, including the aforementioned artifact. And looking at it in its whole state, she could see why Abe was insistent on restoring it. It was a beautiful crown of sorts, most likely a replica of something.

"Alex, I had a feeling that Abe would call you in," a familiar and gravelly voice spoke from behind her before she could pay much more attention to the artifact, causing her to panic for a quick moment.

"Liz! I've been meaning to see you and thank you for the housewarming presents!" she gushed as she turned to face her friend, before looking around anxiously, "Is Hellboy with you?"

"No, you're lucky I managed to give him the slip," the Firestarter teased as she took a seat on one of the chairs that Alex had just fixed, clearly getting into something more serious, "You know he misses you, right? He thinks that he did something wrong." And when confronted with the reality of the consequences of her actions, she suddenly regretted the way she had handled things. She had wanted to be petty, yes, but she hadn't thought through how it was appear to her best friend of many years, like abandonment or outright anger.

"He didn't do anything wrong!" she insisted, taking a seat across from the other female, only for Liz to continue to stare at her with a deadpan, "I just thought that you guys would like some space, and I didn't want to live on the compound anymore anyway."

"Honey, you know that we would never ask that of you, would never just kick you out like that," she sighed, meeting Alex's eyes earnestly as she placed a hand on her knee, "You and Red have been sharing a room longer than I've been alive." And with the pyro looking at her like that, she was sure that the other knew or at least suspected how she really felt about the half demon.

"I know," she whispered, unable to maintain eye contact out of guilt, "But that doesn't mean that as a developing couple you didn't need it."

"You need to stop being so self sacrificing, you make the rest of us look bad," Liz hassled her, though there was clearly some intention to her words. It made her a little teary eyed, she'd admit that. She looked up, chuckling at the other's expense.

"Impossible, you guys do that all on your own," she teased, smiling to show that she was joking in return.

"I believe that is called a burn," Abe spoke up finally, looking utterly delighted at how the conversation had gone, as if he hadn't called Liz here himself for this very purpose.

"It's not just Red that misses you," the mutant spoke up again, more sincere than Alex was used to, "I know that I'm the newest addition, the outlier, but I thought that we were a team; a good team. Things just haven't been the same without you being there on every mission. We have to be more careful, more vigilant, without you."

"I didn't know, but I'm always just a phone call away. How about I come with you guys on the next mission?" she found herself offering, eager to make her friends happy again, to atone for her abandonment although she wasn't quite prepared to move on yet, "It'll be like before."

"Are you sure?" Abe questioned, clearly sensing her own wariness. But he sounded sad, and it was because of her, so she steeled herself.

"Yeah, I would hate to become rusty," she insisted with more determination and confidence than she really felt. With that decided, they continued to catch up with one another, ignoring the agents that still scurried around them.

Alex didn't realize how much she would come to regret her offer.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex felt lighter somehow, after her conversation with Abe and Liv. Avoiding them hadn't been the best idea, and she hadn't even noticed how it had affected her mental health to be isolated. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't take note of how her apartment door was still unlocked. She was quickly reminded of her guest from this morning when she walked in to find Nuada on her sofa, book in hand. Alex ignored how it felt to come home to someone, instead wondering why the hell he hadn't left.

"You're still here?" she asked, for a lack of anything better to say.

"Is there an issue with my continued presence?" The woman took a moment to wonder why would she ever expect a straightforward response from the other.

"Now who is reading into whose words?" Instead of meeting her banter, Nuada seemed to pause for a moment, as if he was thinking over what to say. And was that even a hint of anxiety?

"It has occurred to me that it would be beneficial for you to have someone to occupy your spare bedroom." He said it slowly, stiffly, like the words hurt him to say. Alex wanted to sigh at his dramatics, but it was oddly endearing.

"Yeah, I've thought about it, having an apartment mate," she conceded, moving to join him on the couch, tired of acting like a stranger in her own apartment, "I just never got around to looking for one."

"Well, I have graciously decided to continue my habiting of this place, provided that you maintain your position as my guide into all things human." It took her a few moments to decode his meaning, and then a few more to actually consider the implications.

"Is that a backwards way of saying that you want to live here?" She couldn't help but tease him, though her mind was already racing. She couldn't deny that she was gleeful at the idea of living with someone, even if it was Nuada. And she should've had more reservations about allowing a strange man into her home, but whether it was because she was so sheltered or because she actually trusted him, she didn't know.

"I believe that I said exactly what I meant," he huffed, jaw clenched like he was holding himself back from insulting her.

"Well, okay. How do you want to split the rent?" Alex couldn't really care less about the monetary aspects of having a roommate, but this was a normal question when deciding on how cohabitation worked. Or at least she thought it was a normal question, until he responded.

"Rent?"

"The cost of leasing this apartment every month," she defined, raising an eyebrow at his cluelessness. How did this grown man not know what rent was? Maybe he just knew it by another term?

"Well, I shall only be inhabiting my bedchambers, which is only a portion of this apartment," he pointed out. And she was reminded that he had been kicked out by his family, and that he was probably not left with much if he was even considering living with her. Despite how Nuada acted and dressed, he was probably strapped for cash.

"So, how about a fourth? Since the lease is in my name anyway, it would only be fair," she offered up seriously, not wanting to insult the other by seeming to take pity on him. If she was in his place, that would seriously piss her off. And given the pale man's pride, to take pity on him like that would be unforgivable.

"What would that price be?"

"Well, rent is $1,340 a month, so you would become responsible for $335 of that. I can buy the groceries too, if that's more convenient for you." If the other didn't even know what rent was, she doubted that he would be any good at meal planning and budgeting groceries.

"How do I attain this amount of money?" Alex momentarily thought about calling the whole deal off, but took a second to ground herself and calm down.

"Don't you have a bank account? Or a job?"

"In a way," he answered vaguely, and she could tell that she was going to need Advil after this interaction was over.

"Then there you go." They sat there for a moment, relaxing into the couch. Alex found herself slumping more and more, becoming one with the fabric. She should've gotten more sleep, and both of these conversations today had been rather draining.

"Do you need me to help you move in?" she asked, as it occurred to her that this was real, that he was actually going to be living with her.

"No, I can handle my own belongings." Maybe he just didn't want her knowing where he was currently staying? She couldn't really find it within herself to care.

"Oh, here's the spare key, I guess it's yours now," she offered, taking the extra key off the keyring where she kept all her important stuff; keys to the apartment, keys to her car, key to her mailbox, keys to the compound. There was a glint of excitement in his eyes as he looked over the piece of metal in his hand, and she could relate, could remember how special it had seemed to her upon renting her first apartment. And with that, it was official.

Things somehow formed a kind of routine after Nuada moved in, within the week even. Sometimes she wondered exactly how she ended up with a virtual stranger living with her, especially one so odd, but Alex would admit that it was nice to come home to someone else there. She would wake up in the morning and find him already on the couch or the balcony, reading one of her books or one that he must've bought that was in a foreign language, drinking tea. He would always wait for her to cook them breakfast, although she knew that he was capable of cooking to some degree. Then they would spend the day in the apartment, either reading in a companionable silence or she would watch a movie and he would pretend not to be engrossed in it. He would rarely come out with her to run errands, but he was often more than open to a walk around the park. His clothing choices always leaned towards the elegant and fanciful, as if he didn't know that comfortable clothes existed. The most casual she had ever seen him was in a pair of cream slacks with plain slip-ons and a tunic style shirt. Alex was also surprised to find that the pale man adored plants. She began to find herself taking home the saddest plants from the garden sections of store, just to watch how he would light up at the sight of them before somehow magically bringing them back to life. She never even had to use her powers to sustain them, he always managed to make them flourish. Some days she would cook dinner for them both, other times they would get takeout or one of them would eat alone.

About twice a week she would be called in to fix things up after an incident, which could be at any time. Nuada seemed to not even notice her hasty departure. Her roommate had a weird schedule of his own. Some days he would just be gone all day, others he wouldn't leave at all. Often times she could hear him leave at night or return early in the morning, so Alex wasn't quite sure how much sleep he got or what he did or where he went when he left. It frankly wasn't her place to ask.

Alex found herself having to be secretive with her abilities for the first time in a long while. When she was on a job or at the compound, she could freely fix things. Here, living with a normal human, she couldn't just use her powers carelessly. If she broke a mug, she had to wait until Nuada wasn't in the room to fix it, and even then, she had to hope that he didn't notice the broken mug was now whole. Thankfully he never seemed to think anything odd of how broken things would reappear whole, how her cuts or bruises would seemingly heal overnight, how overripe fruit or moldy bread would suddenly be fresh. She caught him studying these instances a few times, giving away just how sharp he was, but if he ever connected the events to her, he never mentioned anything.

Nuada was an odd person to be around. It seemed that he was being serious about her teaching him what it was like to be an ordinary person, as he would ask the strangest questions. Sometimes the answers should be obvious, but other times she had to admit ignorance. Like, who just asks what the meaning of life is and expects the answer to apply for everyone?

And then the routine was disturbed when Abe finally called her up for a mission. She had almost forgotten that she had volunteered to come along on the next mission, but it was too late to back out now. They were heading somewhere in Asia to handle some out of control fae, it wasn't very clear yet. They could be there for 3 days, they could be there for a month. She wasn't sure if she was ready to face Hellboy after two months of avoiding him, but she feared his reaction. Sometimes she felt bitter about being pushed out by his relationship with Liz, but other times she blamed herself. If she hadn't fallen for him, she wouldn't have been heartbroken and none of this would've happened. But that would also mean that she would never have met Nuada that night in the bar. And that thought made her feel things that she wasn't quite prepared to deal with.

"Hey, so I have to go abroad for work in a few days," she announced as she took a seat on the couch next to the man. While he acted nonchalant, it was clear that he was no longer paying attention to the book in his hands. Not that she had any room to judge, given how strained she had sounded herself.

"Oh?" Even his attempt to sound casual fell short.

"Yeah, I don't know how long I'll be gone, but the rent is automatically deducted from my checking account, so there's no need to worry about anything like that," she assured, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck as he finally looked up from his reading to pierce her with a sharp look.

"I was under the impression that rent was due at the beginning of the month, which is weeks away. How long do you expect to be abroad?"

"That's the thing; I don't know. It could be a few days, it could be a month."

"You have never had to leave for your employment before," he pointed out, something like suspicion in his tone. It was clear that he was picking up on her discomfort, on how she was dreading this.

"I volunteered for additional hours," she tried to make up an excuse, and it really wasn't far off from the truth, "Besides, I love traveling." She tried to sound excited at the prospect, but it only made her roommate raise an eyebrow at how odd she was acting.

"You've never mentioned this before, and you insist on talking about everything," he continued with narrowed eyes, still not buying what she was selling. She wanted to be affronted, but he wasn't wrong. Everyday when she came home, she told him as much as she could about her day, and he would listen intently while acting like he didn't care.

"I just forgot is all, I didn't actually expect them to take me up on it," she sighed, frustrated but not with him. Maybe she was just making a big deal out of nothing, that she was overreacting and her friend was just trying to understand her conflicting words and expressions.

"Ah, so you were only intending on appearing in a positive light for your work authority," Nuada stated like everything made sense now, finally letting it drop as he returned to his pretense of reading his book. She was a bit confused on how this was the explanation he had decided on, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She went on to ramble about her day, about the upcoming sale at the store that he should check out while she was gone, about what kind of clothes she should pack, even about how she would miss the apartment; their apartment. But he was colder now, after the revelation that she was leaving, and he ignored her completely. He ignored her when she offered to make dinner, and he turned down her suggestion of a walk in the park. It shouldn't have made her as upset as it did, but like hell she was going to mention that aloud.

So Alex put her effort into preparing for the mission. She exercised a bit, trying to psych herself up for her reunion with her best friend. She thought of responses to everything he could possibly throw at her, at any reaction he could possibly have. But it wasn't enough to erase her hurt when Nuada didn't acknowledge her leaving, bag in hand. And then all hope was lost when she met those red orbs that she had missed so much as she boarded the plane.

"Well, look who has decided to grace us with her presence," Hellboy sneered upon seeing her, getting the attention of everyone else. The disgruntled look he gave her was off-putting, but she tried to be the bigger person and ignore the elephant in the room.

"Hey Red. Abe, Liz; long time no see," she greeted as the others turned to her, waving awkwardly. But Abe strode up to her without hesitation, gripping her excitedly by the shoulders.

"Alex, it's splendid that you decided to join us for a mission. It can be reminiscent of those before. And I for one miss seeing you in action," he gushed, smiling widely. It was contagious, and she couldn't help but smile in return at her amphibian friend. It didn't last long, especially when Hellboy scoffed.

"Not like she actually does anything. You've been slacking for what, two months now?"

"Actually, Alex has still been on call," Liz interjected pointedly, glaring at her boyfriend before smiling at Alex, "She just comes in once the dust has settled."

"You knew that this whole time? You've known where she's been?" It was clear that he was trying to keep it quiet, just between himself and Liz, but that had never been his specialty. He was angry, and not just at her; betrayed.

"I moved in my own apartment and just needed time to get settled, I'm sorry if I kept missing you," she offered up as an excuse, going along with Liz's lead. But it only caused Hellboy's ire to return to her.

"And what, did your phone break or did you just conveniently only get calls from people other than me?"

"I knew if I talked to you, you would try to get me to stay," she admitted, refusing to look him in the eye. This was her fault after all. Abe was clearly flustered, hovering around her but ignorant about how to defuse the situation or make her feel better.

"And is that so bad? Instead you disappeared without a trace for two fucking months. We're your family, what the hell were you thinking!" The ever present guilt that had been weighing on her was suddenly unbearable, and she just wanted him to understand. What was two months for people like them?

"I just wanted to see what it was like outside of the compound. I'm hundreds of years old, and I only learned two months ago how rent works! Or how to cook pancakes. Or-"

"So what, you just wanted to play at being normal? This is just some sort of phase where you try to fit in with everyone else?" And she found herself wondering if that was true. Was that why she had been so ready to accept a roommate, was she that desperate to find people to belong with? And then that begged the question of why hadn't she fit in with these people either, why she had still been searching for her place.

"That's not fair-"

"Well, newsflash, Alex. You aren't normal. You aren't even really human, you're just lucky enough to look like one of them. They will never-"

"Red, that isn't-"

"Or were you avoiding me because without me next to you, you could be like them?"

"That's enough!" Liz shouted, throwing up a wall of flames to separate them. She stumbled back now that Hellboy couldn't see her, couldn't see the way her face crumbled. With him acting like this, he'd only make fun of her.

"He didn't mean any of that, you know that," Abe assured, big eyes staring at her imploringly as he tried to steady her.

"Do I?" she grit out, holding back tears, "Is that really what he thinks of me?"

"Alex-"

"Abe, I've only been on the plane for 30 minutes and this is how things have been going. Am I really that bad of a friend? Did I really abandon him like that, like everyone else? Am I really that shallow? Because I'll admit, I loved being normal. I love my domestic little apartment and my roommate and our plants-"

"When did you get a roommate?" Liz suddenly spoke up, and that was when Alex realized that the wall of flames had died down. The pyro had been approaching them, leaving her boyfriend to sulk by himself.

"Yeah, he moved in a month ago and-"

"It's a male? Are you two-" Abe began, something excited and expectant in his tone that had Alex stammering.

"No! He's just a friend. Well, he is now. When he moved in, he was kind of a stranger-"

"You let a strange man move in with you?" Liz questioned, glaring at her like she was a moron. She flinched under that look like a child, even though Liz was easily the youngest out of the four of them.

"What did I just hear about strange men?" Hellboy spoke up next, and for a moment he sounded like the best friend she remembered, protective and concerned for her wellbeing.

"God, I'm stupid, I know. But it's worked out!" she insisted, attempting to smile to assuage Liz's worries.

"Alex, he could've been a serial killer or a rapist, and you just let him into your apartment?" the other female chided, clearly frustrated with her.

"I can handle myself," she assured, puffing out her cheeks in a way that she knew Liz found adorable, the equivalent of puppy eyes.

"So you're sharing an apartment with a dude. What, is he your sugar daddy or something?" Hellboy sneered, smirking when his words had their intended effect.

"Excuse me-"

"Hellboy-"

The rest of the plane ride didn't fare much better. At some point, it was mutually decided that silence was preferable to arguing and accusations, though it didn't stop Hellboy's grumblings. But at least it didn't give him anymore ammo. It was one thing for him to insult her, the one who had hurt him, but it wasn't fair of him to keep trying to attack Nuada. At this moment, she regretted coming at all. She missed the peacefulness of her apartment, her bed that smelled of comfort and flowers, her balcony that overlooked the park, Nuada-

Well, that was new. She missed Nuada.

The mission ended up only being a week long. Liz and Abe acted as a barrier between Hellboy and her the entire time. She didn't realize how much she was losing out, not being on the active cases and missions. It was more invigorating to be fixing things and people as they were broken, to watch as she helped them be able to continue fighting. How easy it was to make people forget what they had seen as they ran past, instead of rounding them all up later. Of course, Hellboy was still shit at working with others. He insisted on fighting everything head on, himself. Often times, the rest of them found themselves hanging back as to not get in his way. But it was easier to investigate and notice things this way. That was how they were able to discover exactly what and who had been causing chaos here, stealing children away and hiding them in artefacts and paintings. Damn tricksters. All because the group of children had accidently slighted them over some offence. Her abilities came in handy to rescue the kids from their prisons, whereas Abe was able to track down where they were hidden exactly, and Hellboy and Liz handled the tricksters.

Of course there was one more major fight as they disembarked the plane around 3am. Alex was exhausted from running around, dealing with Hellboy's ire, and using her abilities so much. So on top of her exhaustion, she was now close to crying out of frustration. Arguing back would just make things worse, and all she wanted was to return to her apartment and collapse. The couch suited her purposes as her bedroom proved too far. She was so lost in her thoughts and everything was so blurry, that she momentarily didn't notice Nuada. She caught movement out of her peripheral, and snapped her head up to find him standing in the hallway that led to their bedrooms. For a second, she could swear he looked different. Instead of pale, there was the glow of pure white skin and hair. A reflection of gold embroidery on his clothing, a smudge of black over his lips and around his eyes. And his eyes; they weren't the blue that she had come to know. Instead, they were yellow, like a serpent's. And then, in a blink, it was just Nuada, perfectly normal and human, staring at her.

"I'm home," she croaked out, wiping at her eyes pathetically, "I'm sorry, did I wake you? I didn't mean to-"

"What happened? Were you attacked? Why are you crying? Are you in pain?" he asked rapid fire, crossing the space in an instant to hover next to her, clearly looking for injuries.

"I'm fine," she assured weakly, continuing when his eyes snapped up to hers in disbelief, "Physically at least. I'm just tired."

"You're crying because you are exhausted?" Nuada was skeptical, and wasn't it just like him to see through her so easily? She took a moment to get herself more under control, though she found it hard to meet his gaze.

"Remember the guy I told you about, the one I was in love with? He was there, and he was so cruel the entire week," she admitted, hiccupping towards the end as tears threatened to fall again.

"So you were hurt by a loved one. Oh sweet Alex, you are so foolish," he murmured, something bittersweet to his tone that she didn't really understand. Alex glanced up to find that he was so close now, kneeling next to the couch where she was falling apart like he wanted to help her.

"Shut up," she all but cried, unable to stop herself from reaching out and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, hiding her face in his chest. He was frozen under her touch, tense and unsure.

"What are you doing?" His voice matched his body language, and she cried harder as she realized that she was making him uncomfortable. But she couldn't bring herself to let him go, not when this is the best that she had felt all week, and maybe even longer than that given how he had been ignoring her beforehand. She didn't want to be a bother, but she also knew that's what she was being right now. But he wasn't forcibly removing her from his person, so she just took it in stride.

"I needed a hug, and you're the only one here," she answered honestly, though she didn't remove her face from his chest. His shirt was silky and cool against her heated face, and it smelled like the apartment, like comfort and tea and flowers and old books. In response to her words, he relaxed into the hug, even moving to wrap his arms around her, pulling her further into him.

"Is this a part of the human experience?" he asked after awhile, after her tears had stopped and he had moved them so he was sitting on the couch as well. She hoped that she hadn't stained his shirt or hurt his knees from kneeling for so long. Alex was barely holding onto him at this point, and it was only his arms still wrapped around her that kept her upright.

"Yes, comforting a friend is very human," she yawned, curling herself into her roommate, the only source of warmth nearby. Or at least that's what she told herself. Her room seemed so far away right now, and he felt so nice next to her. He made everything else fade away; the stress and loneliness and Hellboy's cruel words. It was no surprise that she fell asleep.

What was surprising was waking up in her bed, and opening her eyes to find a very familiar figure. And even worse, that figure was staring back at her with something like amusement in the soft morning light.

"Nuada, why are you in my bed?" Somehow she sounded calm, despite how her heart was currently trying to beat out of her chest. What exactly had led to this? She was frozen there, still laying down and facing the man next to her as her mind tried to process everything. But her eyes burned and her head ached, symptoms of crying her eyes out the night (morning?) before. What time even was it now? How long had she slept? How long had he been awake?

"When I attempted to move you from the couch to your bedchambers, you refused to release me," he answered after an eternity. And huh, had his eyes always shined like that, crystal blue almost looking golden in the morning sun that was pouring through her window.

"Well, that's embarrassing," she muttered, finally moving to bury her burning face in her pillow, hoping to smother herself, "I'm sorry." Alex didn't know exactly what she was apologizing for, whether it was dragging him into her bed or waking him up at 3am or breaking down on him, maybe it was even for leaving in the first place.

"I will accept your apology, given your state the previous night. Now, in return, I would like to request our breaking of the fast meal to consist of the rolled bread with filling." He was oddly tactful about the whole situation, even chipper. It was suspicious, but she was just grateful that he was over whatever funk he had been in.

"Breakfast burritos, sounds good," she agreed, somehow understanding his request. He didn't make a move to get up until she did, and even then he just waited for her patiently as she changed out of the clothes that she had fallen asleep in. As she puttered around the kitchen, collecting ingredients for breakfast burritos, he watched her calmly from the island.

"As your novels have taught me, this is the appropriate time to ask more about why you were in such a tantrum," Nuada suddenly spoke up as she was slicing vegetables, almost causing her to cut herself. She took a moment to curse whatever books he had been reading, but she had to agree that this was a perfect opportunity to question someone. It's not like she could just walk away from the conversation, and the multitasking ensured that her answers would be more honest.

"So when I moved, I didn't tell him, or anyone really, where I went. I took a different shift at work and ignored all their attempts at communication. And it wasn't that they had done anything wrong, it was just that I wanted a break from everything. And if I happened to hurt them, all the better so that I could be petty. But he took it harder than I was expecting, and he wouldn't let me explain, so he assumed the worse. And since I was avoiding him for 2 months, that's only fair I guess," she explained, trying and failing to keep the self pity and guilt out of her tone. At least she could focus on perfectly dicing a red bell pepper instead of meeting his eyes, of seeing his expression as he no doubt judged her.

"You are making excuses, both for you and for your beloved," he bluntly pointed out, causing her to tense up as he only continued his slander, "When you love someone, you don't wish them any pain, especially as a consequence of your own actions. You both hurt each other, after what I'm assuming has been a lifelong friendship and partnership."

"So you're saying that we never loved each other?" She was rather offended, but Alex realized that she couldn't exactly say that he was wrong.

"I'm saying that your love was either not pure or wasn't the form of love that you thought. You had been together so long that maybe you mistook your devotion and loyalty for romantic love." He was more gentle this time, but it didn't stop her eyes from burning. Or maybe that was just the red onion she was cutting up.

"Please stop, it's too early to reconsider my entire life," she moaned, closing her eyes briefly as she conceded defeat. And for a moment, there was silence, blissful silence. Everything was cut up at this point, and she had moved on to cooking the eggs and the pancetta (because someone was too good for bacon apparently).

"Have you ever partaken in the human experience of sex?" How he managed to make his question sound innocent, she didn't know.

"Oh, wow, where did that come from?" she sputtered, quickly moving to save the eggs from burning to the bottom of the pan. It would be a bitch to have to make another round of eggs, especially with her roommate analyzing her every movement.

"You agreed to be my guide for all things human," Nuada reminded her, and she could almost hear him smirking, "Yet you haven't mentioned the role of sex in your culture and in your life. I can only assume that it is because you are lacking knowledge in this subject." Alex's first response was to prove him wrong, tell him of all her sexual exploits, but her sense of modesty saved her at the last second.

"Sex is a weird topic. It's one thing to talk about it as a subject, but when talking about it any further is personal. It is something that is shared between two people, or more than two people sometimes I guess. And then there's different reasons for having sex, just like how there are different reasons for going to the bar. There's people who are in it just for the physical pleasure, others are in it for the development of a relationship or as a form of intimacy with a partner."

"Then I withdraw my question as to whether you have experienced sexual relations, as that is personal," he responded, actually listening to her, though he still sounded reluctant.

"Not like that's ever stop you before," she muttered as she assembled the actual burritos, but he didn't deign her comment with an actual retort.

"In my culture, sex is meant to be a form of bonding of souls, the connection of the spiritual as well as the physical to create one entity out of two," he explained wistfully. As much as he had been hurt by his family, she knew he missed his home. Where that was, she didn't know. But he always made it sound glorious, familiar yet exotic.

"That's a nice way to think about it, as a melding." Alex wondered if she could consider any of her experiences to be anything similar to how he described it, and quickly decided that it was best not to dwell on.

"It is much less hedonistic," he agreed, unable to help himself as he took a dig at her. She huffed, pushing the completed breakfast burrito across the counter.

"Shut up and eat your breakfast burrito." She decided to remain standing where she was, rather than take the seat next to him. Hopefully he would allow her to enjoy her meal in silence.

"Tell me more about the physical affection that you bestowed upon me," he urged after he was only done with half of his food, looking at her expectantly. And maybe she should've just sat down, because now she didn't have anything to distract herself with from looking back at him over the island.

"That isn't shutting up," she sighed, but continued when he only took another bite of his burrito while watching her, "I hugged you. What more is there to say?"

"Is it a development in our relationship?" Damn him for listening to her so intently this morning, "What is it's purpose? Are there norms-"

"I consider you a friend. Hugging can represent affection and intimacy, as well as fulfilling a need for comfort or touch." Alex tried to make it sound clinical, which was so odd considering the subject matter was hugs.

"There is a need for touch?" It was here that she misunderstood his question, as he was actually asking her a personal question, rather than asking about the existence of a need for touch.

"Physical touch can do a lot for a person, and at the very least makes you happy. People who are touch starved seek out forms of physical affection because of the way it improves their mental state." And it was true, given that contact with other human beings caused the brain to release hormones.

"Are you one of these people that are deprived of touch?" She hadn't expected the question, despite Nuada hitting the nail on the head. Alex wasn't exactly normal, she hadn't grown up with the perfect nuclear family or with much physical affection. She hadn't even noticed how much she craved contact until she was taken in by the organization. Hellboy, who would make fun of her for being clingy without actually doing anything about it. Abe, who had been so afraid to touch people, to cross boundaries given his abilities. The old man, her makeshift father, who would pat her on the head like she was a good little pet.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed Nuada finish his meal, let alone when he stood and moved to stand behind her. It wasn't until arms were wrapping around her waist, a chin coming to rest on her shoulder as she was pulled into him, that she came back to the present. For all that she wanted to maintain her image, she found herself sinking into his embrace. And it wasn't as if it mattered, given that she had literally dragged the man into her bed.

"So this is all that you require?" His mouth was so close to her ear that it made her shiver, which only made him tighten his grip marginally.

"Thank you, Nuada, but that really isn't necessary-" She attempted, one last attempt at trying to regain her normal, but he shot it down.

"Did you not say that this would improve your mental state?"

"Yes," she conceded, finishing her own burrito.

"Is it working?" he asked, curious at how instantaneous the effect was.

"Nuada, for the love of all that is good in this world, please shut up."

And so there was now a new addition to their routine. Whereas before they would always leave space between each other, Nuada now insisted on being in contact with her at any given moment. If she sat down next to him on the balcony as he drank his tea, he would scoot his chair over until their arms were brushing. If she relaxed on the couch to watch a movie or show, there would suddenly be a body next to her. In passing, he would always make sure to reach out in some way to instigate contact, even if it was just for a moment. It became natural in a way to just return the contact. Leaning into him when they sat next to each other, grabbing his hand mindlessly as she watched television, interlacing their arms as they walked around the park; it was sickeningly domestic. Hellboy's affection had been rather sparing, as well as painful given his lack of a gentle touch. With Nuada, it was easy. Alex found that it did actually improve her mood significantly, and was pleased when she noticed that it did the same for her companion, even if he didn't realize it.

She wondered if he noticed the way his physical affection increased whenever she seemed stressed or sad, especially after coming home from another incident where she ran into Abe, Liz, or Hellboy. Alex repaid his kindness with little things; a new recipe for them to try, more plants, more books that better suited his tastes, and even new blankets and pillows. Nuada had a taste for all things opulent, including plush and soft fabrics. New shelves were necessary to home all of their new plants and books. The apartment felt less and less like hers and more and more like theirs. It felt like home.


End file.
